06/11/2009 – On the last day of our Laos visa it’s time to leave so next stop Vietnam!! We knew better than to even contemplate the 25 hour bus ride so we got some pretty cheap flights from Luang Prabang airport to Hanoi on – wait for it – our favourite airline:LAO AIRLINES!!!! I must say that this was far less painful a trip than from Thailand to Laos; in part because we were not suffering but also because the plane was far bigger and looked more reliable!! Even the in flight snack was more than edible – it was nice, and I got TWO cups of tea.
We’d heard many tales of scams in Hanoi where taxi drivers try to take you to their own hotel where they get commission so we were hoping to be prepared for it. We booked a hotel in advance which supposedly had free airport pick up but it appeared my request didn’t get through/was ignored. We had to take an airport taxi which looked pretty legit and gave him explicit instructions for the hotel address. When we got to the city he still brought us to his buddy who got in the car, waving a business card of the hotel we were booked into and telling some story about how the hotel was now full (a couple had apparently cancelled a trip and were staying an extra night so therefore our room was taken) so he was going to take us to another hotel run by the same people with the same everything. It took a while but our constant questions eventually wore him down and when we started insisting we wanted to go to the booked hotel to make sure our card wouldn’t be charged he gave up. Talk about hard work! We ventured out that night for something to eat and even though we didn’t get that far it was a mission – the paths are too narrow and over cluttered to walk on and the minute you step onto the road you’re really taking your life into your own hands!!
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